smokers ’ imaginations . The great thing is : it works and it is almost completely safe . You can ’ t call it 100 % safe , but it ’ s at least twenty to thirty times safer than smoking .”
Dr Bobak also took irresponsible and inaccurate reporting to task in a powerful monologue and one of the high points of the show . Here it is in full . “ There is so much unbelievable misinformation about the safety of e-cigarettes out there ,” he said . “ It really is a fraction of the harm of smoking . Apart from the research – which has proved it – every time a smoker puffs a cigarette , they ’ re taking in 4,000 chemicals , 250 of which are toxic and 80 of which are carcinogenic . When you take in vapour , there ’ s no smoke at all , and the ingredients of it are a fraction of what you ’ d get from cigarettes and we know they ’ re safe . The only things we aren ’ t absolutely certain about are flavourings and colourings . “ But what we are absolutely sure of is that vaping , short term , is safe . My recommendation as a doctor is that you use e-cigarettes as a tool to stop smoking . That ’ s what millions of people are now doing around the world . It is a good time for people to stop . I urge people to use the support out there : the NHS is available to help you free of charge and highly-trained stop smoking people are going to help you and want to help you with e-cigarettes .”
No piece of media coverage on vaping is complete without some emphasis on the misgivings people have about them – at least for now . Holmes raised one of the more common concerns , one that has gained significant traction : the idea that it may be a gateway to smoking . “ I ’ m sure it ’ s not , quite the reverse ,” said Dr Bobak . “ The evidence is very clear : people who vape are the people who smoke , it ’ s not a gateway . We mustn ’ t be carried away with that argument . The opportunity to improve smoking cessation is there , let ’ s keep our eyes on the prize because it really is a huge one .”
Holmes ’ co-hosts for the day were James Ball and Lianna Brinded , the latter of whom announced she had started her smoking cessation journey five weeks ago thanks to e-cigarettes . “ I ’ m one of those people that didn ’ t go for patches or chewing gum , I went for vaping . It has dramatically reduced the amount I ’ ve been smoking and I now feel it ’ s worked so well I barely even vape anymore .”
James Ball also spoke glowingly of effects e-cigarettes are having on his formerly smoking friends , claiming that a lot of them have really cut down their habit . “ It ’ s quite heartening to see the NHS being pragmatic on this , backing something that looks much less harmful .”
This exchange marks a refreshing and encouraging change for vaping coverage in media , which for too long has centred around a mix consisting mainly of doomsday exaggeration and tabloid sermonising . Hearing an actual discussion with a hopeful tone should raise our hopes too . The vape industry is sometimes a place where you have to celebrate even the small victories ; change is often incremental , testing the most patient of us . But Public Health England ’ s leap forward puts our message out in new ways every day .
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